Recovery of potassium and sodium compounds, fats, and other valuable ingredients from wool-scouring liquors.



F. E. UNDERWOOD & B. F. iLLSTON.

RECOVERY OF POTASSIUM AND SODiUM COMPOUNDS FATS, A

FROM WOOL SCOURING LIQUORS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I. 19!?- ND OTHER VALUABLE INGREDIENTS nEnwoon and BERGEN F.

the l nlted States, residing at the city of tacking the FREDERICK UNDERWOOD AND BERGEN nILLsToN, or JAMEs'roWN, new YORK.

RECOVERY OF POTASSIUM AND SODIUM COMPOUNDS, FATS, OTHER VALUABLE INGREDIENTS FROM WOQL-SCOURING LIQUORS.

Specification of Lettefs Patenfi;

'Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application filed June 1, 1917. Serial No, 172,184.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it. known that we FnEoEmoK E. UN-

lLLs'roN, citizens of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Recovery of Potassium and Sodium Com- -pounds, Fats, and other Valuable Ingredients from \Vool-Scouring Liquors, of which the following. taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The invention relates to the recovery of the valuable ingredients from wool scouring and other liquors. It is well known that substantially all of the valuable ingredients contained in wool scouring liquorsare, in-

corporated therein in emulsion. The emul-- the natural soap of the sion is formed by fleece in combination with the free fat. and the free alkali and soap used in scouring the fleece. It has been ditlicult to break up this emulsion, chiefly because the attack has been made on the fats instead of upon the binding element or soap. It is true that the fats are the mostvaluableingredients but their release is more easily accomplished by atbinding element or soap, after which the other ingredients including the fats and substantially all the other ingredients may be easily separated and recovered.

Accordingly the object of our improvement is to change the base of the natural soap of the wool fleece and the soap used in scouring said fleece as emulsified in the scouring liquor, from a potassium or sodium base, said potassium or sodium forming a soluble soap, to a magnesium base rendering it an insoluble soap which is precipitated thereby freeing the valuable potassium salts and making it possible to remove and decompose said insoluble magnesium soap .and free the fats and fatty acids and release ferent parts being; connected by dotted-lines showing the steps in the process.

The numeral 1 designates the wool scour ving bowl which is connected by a pipe line 2 to the settling tank 3, which tank is prefset forth and v settling tank or tub 11.

:liquor and plenty of time I same said scouring hquor'may be allowed to 10:1

erably made of concrete and placed in the ground. i l {3 Y The tank 3 is connected-by a line 4 to the liquor feed and circulating pump 5 of suitable construction and capacity. The pump 5 is connected by a line 6 tothe autoclave 7 which is preferably arranged with a brick jacket; 8 and fire place-9 for the properheatng of the same. The autoclave 7 is connected to the receiving tub'or tank 11 by the line 10. 5 p

The tub or tank: 111 isjeonnected by the line 12 to the centrifugal separator 13which separates the liquor containing potassium and possibly sodium and nitrogen from the magnesium soap liquor, and said potassium liquor is passed through line 14.- tothetank portion of the scouring The remaining from the centrifugal sop.-

liquors are passed and from thence by the line 18 to the do composing kettle 19 from which it is passed.

the line 20 to the cooling tank- 211 ter cooling in the tank 21 the liquor is passed through line 22 to the centrifugal 23, which separates the different ingredients, the sulfate liquor passingthroughithejline 24 to the tank 25. h

Having described the apparatus, we will now describe the complete process which consists in withdrawing the raivscourin liquor from the wool scouring bowl'l and allowing the same tank 3. After the sand andsediment are settled out of the scouring liquor said liquor is pumped into. the autoclave 7 and treated dients in said liquor including volatile fatty acids. V

The hot liquor is then drawn ofi by its 100 own pressure through the pipe 10' to the When there is a comparatively small amount ofthe scouring for separating the settle in the settling tank 11, all the fats' falling to the bottom as or with insoluble soaps, after the thorough cooking in =the auto-clove 7 withthe magnesium sulfate in gredient. After settlement has taken place 110 7% arator 13 through the line 16 to thetank17: i

' to the the supernu' 1'0! consuming pots.

and p 5, o lo ruue tank from. i

tunlr ll" lls'iuill however,

of the fuctories any sure and the process must be hastened. Accordingly, a oentiii ogul separator 18 is provided it ch innuedietoly takes the cooked scouring liquor containing the pot-us lll from the tank ll c d a.- rates the ocur liquor from the portion of guid scouring liquor, Su liquor pr" 2d through the e 1% to the storage to l l5 2'' the remaining; per lieu of the urizn guor which contains all the fails 13- bed out through the line l6 into the tank 5.? for the magnesia, liquor; this is ofthost a pests and has to be heated i v the The liquor in tent: concentre-tag}- in a acuum evaporator and then evaporated to dryness on a suitable drum or other drier so that the potassium and sodium compounds and nitrogen con tuined therein a rethereby rendered inlet-hetable.

The remaining portion of the trehted liquor or magnesium soup liquor in tank l tests is u quanis passed through line 18 to a steam jacketed i is treated with about"- kettle 19 in which it I one per cent, of its Weightof sulfuric acid and thoroughly cooked. The kettle 19 is provided with a stirring device-231d the mag separated fromithe magnesium sulfate liquor and said uuignesium sulfate liquor is then passed through-the line Qto the storage tank from which it is Withdrawn and concentrated in u vuouuui evaporator to he used again in the original autoclave process. Said faitt'y matter-may be separated from themagnesiuin sulfate liquor by filtration butthio is? much slower means of at taining the desired end. The crude fat will be trehted by suitable refining processes to render it marketable.

Ne claim as new 1. The process of recovering the valuable ingredients from WOOl scouring liquors or the like,Whichoonsists iutreuting the liquor with a salt of an ulhuliue earth metal not injurious organic compounds in the liquor, heating the liquor to u temperature of approxinuiicly 350 degrees and subjecting the some to u pressure of approximately 125 pounds to rhe squure in h during the treatment of scouring liquor particularly in lo isdruwn of? end 5. The prec essof ingredients of wool "the like, which consists with a, magnesium sulfate, heating the liquor ingredients of Wool sews 2:,

ingredients from wool scouring liquors or the like, which consists in treating the liquor with. magnesium sulfate and heating under pressure the liquor during treatment for freeing the potassium and sodium and for separating all fats from the liquor us or with insoluble soups, removing the insoluble soup from the liquor and t eating the same With an acid to free the fats and to recover the magnesium sulfate for re-use. 1

The process of recovering the valu'ble ingredients of wool scouring liquors and tllt like, which odnsists in treating the liquor with it magnesium sulfate, heating the liquor to o; tempeiature approximately 350 and subjecting the some pressure of substantially 125; pounds to the square inch during treatment. I

recovering the valuable scouring liquors and in treating the liquor to a tempera we approximately 350 and subjecting the same no a pressure of substantially 125 pounds to the square inch during treatment, removing the insoluble soups from the liquor and recovering the potassium and sodium. from said liquor by evaporation.

6. The process of recovering the valuable scouring liquors and the like, which consists in treating the liquor with a magnesium sulfate, heating the liquor to utempersture approximately 350 and subjecting the same to a pressure of substantially 125 pounds to the square inch during treatment, removing the insoluble soaps from the liquor and recovering the potassium and sodium. from said liquor by evaporation, and treating the insoluble soaps with an acid to free the fats and for recovering the magnesium sulfate for reuse.

' In testimony whereof we have allisod our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

FREDERICK uunnmvoon. BERGEN FA ILLSTQN. Witnesses H. A. Siiiinenno, I. E. Nouns'ruoti. 

